Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Introduction to Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) refer to a set of
clinical infections in which a mode of transmission is
through sexual contact, and in which at least one sexual
partner is infected. Many of these infections spread
predominantly through sexual intercourse, but in some
others, sexual contact may play a less predominant or
uncertain role. Most STDs are not, however, spread
through casual contact, vectors or fomites.

STDs as a whole affect millions of people in the United
States and around the world each year, causing significant
morbidity and mortality. Although great strides
have been made in the last century toward the treatment
and control of many STDs, new STDs emerge, and outbreaks
of certain diseases make the organisms difficult to
control.

There are several approaches to the study of STDs. One is
to identify the organism (bacteria, virus, or other) that
causes a particular illness. Another is to categorize the
symptoms, describe a syndrome, and think of the possible
underlying organisms that may be their cause. The first
approach offers an excellent way to familiarize oneself
with the family of organisms believed to cause STDs. The
latter approach is useful in thinking about how the
diseases manifest themselves in humans, since clinical
symptoms present in a variety of different ways.
Moreover, the latter approach is useful because multiple
infections in one person are not uncommon.

In addition, the student of STDs must address how the
disease is spread throughout the population. The study of
diseases in a population is called epidemiology.
Understanding the epidemiology of STDs is critical for
several reasons. STDs, like many diseases, are
transmitted through practice of human behavior. A wide
range of social factors thus affects STDs and their
spread, including (obviously) sexual habits, migration,
war and poverty. Since several STDs present
asymptomatically, understanding their epidemiology
helps us to target persons who are infected and are
spreading the diseases unwittingly. Finally, the
epidemiology of STDs informs programs that target STD
prevention. This is particularly important, since most
STDs caused by viruses are incurable, and many STDs caused
by bacteria can render permanent physical damage if not
treated early and effectively.

This SparkNote is organized to present STDs in the same
order as they are introduced above. First, the separate
organisms are discussed and grouped into bacterial, viral
and non-bacterial/non-viral infections. These sections
contain information about the organisms, their prevalence,
and a brief summary of their epidemiology. After you have
gained familiarity with some of the organisms and
diseases, the epidemiology of STDs as a whole is
discussed, along with strategies for their prevention.

This SparkNote does not discuss in detail the medical
testing and treatment protocols for the STDs discussed,
since they change constantly, and depend on the
availability of treatment and the individual patient. The
process of diagnosing an STD is better left up to the
health care professional. This SparkNote will provide an
introduction to the most common STDs by describing them
individually. The multiple-choice test at the end of the
SparkNote may evaluate your ability to link symptoms with
treatment, however.